Most area school crime rates better than average

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction recently released data on criminal activity in public schools.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools averaged 11.33 reported crimes per 1,000 students. The most common crimes were assault on school personnel (382), possession of a controlled substance (434) and weapon possession (512).

The crime rate was up from 11.1 in 2010-11, but CMS saw a significant decrease in crime in high schools. There were 541 reported acts in 2011-2012, down from 641 a year earlier. It was the third consecutive year of declines in both number and rate for CMS high schools. Here’s how local schools reported crime for last school year:

Elementary schools

Barnette Elementary

The school did not report any crime among its 676 students in 2011-12.

Blythe Elementary

With 1,066 students, Blythe Elementary reported a total of 10 criminal acts in the 2011-12 school year, for an average of 9.38 acts per 1,000 students. The school had seven assaults on school personnel, two instances of weapon possession and one sexual assault.

Cornelius Elementary

With 629 students, Cornelius Elementary did not report any crime last year.

Davidson Elementary

With 815 students at Davidson Elementary, the school reported one crime: a weapon possession. The school averaged 1.23 criminal acts per 1,000 students.

Huntersville Elementary

Huntersville Elementary did not report any crime. The school had 791 students last year.

J.V. Washam Elementary

With 1,053 students at J.V. Washam, the school reported one weapon possession in 2011-12. The school averaged 0.95 criminal acts per 1,000 students.

Long Creek Elementary

Long Creek averaged 9.62 acts per 1,000 students in 2011-12, with a total school population of 520 and five acts during the school year. All five acts were weapon possession.

Torrence Creek Elementary

With 1,229 students, Torrence Creek did not report any crimes last school year.

Bailey Middle School had 1,336 students in 2011-12, averaging 7.49 criminal acts per 1,000 students. The school reported 10 crimes, including one assault that resulted in serious injury, two assaults with a weapon, one assault on school personnel, one possession of a controlled substance, two weapon possessions and three sexual assaults.

Francis Bradley Middle

Bradley Middle reported nine crimes, or a rate of 7.81 acts per 1,000 students, last year. The school had 1,152 students. Crimes included one assault on school personnel, two controlled substance possessions, four weapon possessions and two sexual assaults.

High schools

Hopewell High

The school had 1,668 students and reported 23 criminal acts, for an average of 13.79 per 1,000 students. Crimes at the school included two assaults on school personnel, four fires, three instances of alcohol possession, 12 controlled substance possession cases, one weapon possession and one sexual assault.

Hough High

With the second-lowest crime rate among high schools in the district, Hough reported nine criminal acts last school year. The school had 1,947 students, averaging 4.62 criminal acts per 1,000 students.

Crimes included one instance of alcohol possession, five controlled substance possessions, one firearm possession and two weapon possessions.

North Mecklenburg High

With 1,549 students attending in 2011-12, North Mecklenburg High reported 35 criminal acts, averaging 22.6 acts per 1,000 students. The school had one of the highest crime rates among high schools in the district. Crimes included one assault with a weapon, five assaults on school personnel, three instances of possession of alcohol, 17 controlled substance possessions, one possession of a firearm, five weapon possessions and one case of sexual assault.

Charter Schools

Community School of Davidson

The school did not report any crime last year and had 1,070 students.

Lake Norman Charter

Lake Norman Charter reported three criminal acts in 2011-12 for its student population of 1,579, for a crime rate of 1.9 per 1,000 students. Crimes included two controlled substance possessions and one weapon possession.

Pine Lake Preparatory

With 1,584 students, Pine Lake Prep reported three crimes last year: one alcohol possession and two weapon possessions. The school averaged 1.89 acts per 1,000 students.